1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to wired and/or wireless network data communications, and more specifically to a system and method for installing and/or providing a network infrastructure in various retail entity locations to offer network services to support customers of one or more carrier entities. The invention also relates to a business method which enables installation and/or provision of wired and/or wireless network services in various retail entity locations.
2. Description of Related Art
Various types of wired and wireless infrastructures are being developed to service users of computing devices, such as portable computing devices (PCDs). Currently, numerous network service providers are attempting to install wireless network infrastructures in various locations, such as airports, hotels, office buildings, shopping malls, fast-food restaurants, coffee shops, and/or fueling stations (e.g., gas stations, truck stops, etc.), among others, for use by various users, such as mobile users (MUs) of PCDs. Typically, most or all of the costs associated with setting up and providing the service at these locations is born by the network service provider. Furthermore, bearing these costs has proven difficult and even financially detrimental to various network service providers. Therefore, a new method is desired which enables installation and maintenance of distributed network access points without imposing financial burdens on a network service provider.
Each of a plurality of different network service providers may wish to provide its own wireless local area network (WLAN). Typically, a WLAN includes one or more wireless access points which communicate in a wireless fashion with a corresponding computing device of a user, which typically includes a wireless Ethernet transceiver. By way of example, IEEE 802.11 currently uses a System ID (SID) (e.g., a Service Set Identifier and/or an Extended Service Set Identifier) to “select” which WLAN to use and the wireless access point with which to associate. Elements of the wired and wireless infrastructure, including each wireless access point, may be able to support a different WLAN for each of the plurality of different network service providers. However, in general, each of the plurality of different network service providers provides its own access controller. In other words, the communications from a WLAN of a first wireless service provider are routed to an access controller of the first network service provider. Even though there is a network infrastructure installed at each location of the retail entity, a second network service provider would install more equipment (e.g., at least one more access controller) to also provide service to the users of the second network provider. An access controller for each different network service providers may provide separate branding and/or allow authentication schemes for each of the different network service providers. This may produce several problems and/or complications. For instance, if the network infrastructure is installed at a location such as a fast-food restaurant, space may be limited as to how much equipment may be present. Installing an additional access controller for each additional wireless service provider may not be feasible. This may also add several costs. Not only may there be various up-front costs, there may also be on-going additional costs associated with monitoring and/or maintenance of additional equipment.
When multiple service providers install networking equipment at a retail entity location, other drawbacks may become present as well. For example, each location of the retail entity may have only one connection to a network, such as the Internet. The connection may be with a DSL (digital subscriber line), a cable modem, a T−1, satellite connection, or other possibly limited connection. With the use of additional access controllers, use of resources (e.g., bandwidth) of the connection to the network or Internet may become unbalanced or congested. The retail entity itself may also desire to connect to the network or Internet. The retail entity may desire a guarantee of resources of the network connection, such as a guarantee of a minimum bandwidth (e.g., 64 kilobits per second) for certain critical “back office” applications such as real-time credit-card transaction processing. The use of multiple access controllers may contribute to a complicated implementation, even if the implementation is possible.
In essence, rather than having each carrier or entity set up a separate physical and network infrastructure, a single infrastructure can be utilized to provide multiple services to the entities and to provide services to multiple entities.
Therefore, it would also be desirable to provide a system and method which enables a common wireless network infrastructure (and especially an IEEE 802.11 wireless network infrastructure) and a single physical access controller to be used by a network service provider to provide services to different types of subscribers at a potentially much-reduced cost compared to installing and maintaining separate physical and network infrastructures. This would allow a plurality of carriers to utilize a common set of access points at locations of a retail entity to provide service to a potentially non-overlapping set of subscribers. This would also provide subscribers or users with the ability to more fully utilize the existing network infrastructure. It would further be desirable to provide a distributed wireless network system which can selectively provide different access levels to users of the system.